There’s a certain mystique to the way Alexander Maravegias rises from the lake’s surface. It looks unreal. Seeing twin streams of water exploding beneath his feet — his body seemingly still as a statue as he soars through the air — is a sight to behold.

One’s mind has no frame of reference for the spectacle, other than the special effects seen in superhero films. Perhaps that’s why some of the signature moves on a flyboard — a type of water jetpack tethered by a personal watercraft — have descriptive names like “Superman,” and “Dolphin Dive.”

Nick Baggett, natural resources manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Lanier, has seen these ultramodern contraptions around the lake. He’s watched them with a wary eye.

“The whole element of being able to ‘porpoise,’” Baggett said. “That’s what concerns us some. We want people on Lake Lanier to be safe.”

‘Porpoising’ is just what it sounds like. Picture a dolphin dipping and diving along the shore: that’s what these folks can do on their flyboards. A hose attached to a personal watercraft forces pressurized water through jet nozzles on the board, providing the thrust that allows riders to execute tricks.

The safety issue, Baggett said, is that “if the lake goes down, there can be rocks underneath that are closer to the surface than you might think. Going headfirst into the water like that, you have to be careful.”

Just like all other kinds of personal watercraft on Lanier, there are a few good rules by which to abide as
residents take to the lake this summer. Georgia Department of Natural Resources offers tips such as understanding that those operating a personal watercraft “have the same responsibilities as any other boat operator.”

Most of it is common sense, like letting beginners have a test run before heading out where there are other boaters, personal watercrafts or swimmers.

And keeping personal watercrafts idle within 100 feet of non-moving boats, docks, piers and people in the water, is more than being courteous: it’s the safe thing to do.

Maravegias agreed. When operating a flyboard, he always gives other boaters and personal watercraft operators plenty of space.

“When I sell a board to someone, I always tell them to never come within 100 feet of a boat, because you absolutely want to be safe,” said Maravegias, who is a local distributor of Flyboard-brand products, which are built in France.

The boards go for about $6,000, and he’s sold a few to aquatic thrillseekers around Lake Lanier. Many of his customers are those who have witnessed him zooming through the air, 40 to 50 feet above the water.

“When people see you on one of these, they always stop and watch,” Maravegias said. “They always think it’s crazy. People’s reactions are, ‘Wow, I gotta try that.’”

Chris Lovelady, assistant operations plant manager at Buford Dam, remembers when lake-goers used to have that reaction when they saw a Jet Ski.

“It started with Jet Skis,” Lovelady said. “When those came out, everybody wondered if they were safe for Lanier. Now, with the jetpacks and the jetboards, we’re just monitoring those to make sure they fit in with other activities on the lake.”

Baggett said it’s so far been on a “case by case basis. We take it step by step. Right now, this kind of thing is a novelty, and it’s fairly expensive, so that’s going to limit the number of them you have on the lake.”

Maravegias said that, just like with all personal watercraft use (according to Mark McKinnon, public affairs officer with Georgia DNR, a flyboard is indeed considered personal watercraft), he encourages those who buy the boards to use common sense and be considerate of others.

“It’s the newest thing on the water, so of course people are always stopping in their boats to watch,” Maravegias said. “They’re getting out their cameras and phones to record it.”

Along with being a distributor of the boards, Maravegias is a pro flyboarder. Scoring points by executing tricks like “Superman” and the “Dolphin Dive,” he has competed all over the world with the sport’s best athletes.

Asked why he enjoys it so much, he replies: “There’s nothing else like it. It’s an amazing sensation.”

Added Maravegias: “You feel like Ironman.”